Quality can be measured in many different ways. While there are no defined standards regarding which particular methods should be used, many of the factors listed below can help patients learn more about a hospital's quality of care.
To evaluate quality and safety, patients may wish to consider whether or not the hospital:
- Is rated highly in outcome measures by state or nationally recognized organizations
- Has experience with your particular condition as evidenced by procedure volumes
- Reviews and continuously improves its own quality of care
- Is highly rated by patients by viewing patient satisfaction scores
- Is one where your doctor has practicing privileges, if it is important to you to have your own doctor able to treat you in the hospital
- Is accredited by The Joint Commission
At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we are committed to providing high-quality, safe, and effective care for all patients who come through our doors.
Measuring Quality and Safety
Organizations and websites that display hospital quality data include:
- The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs in the U.S.
- Hospital Compare, a website that contains information about the quality of care at over 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals across the country.
- The Leapfrog Group, an organization that encourages transparency and access to health care information by publicly reporting hospital quality, safety, and efficiency measures.
- Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP), a coalition of physicians, hospitals, health plans, purchasers, patient and public representatives, academics, and government agencies working together to promote improvement in the quality of health care services in Massachusetts.
- Patient Care Link, a health care quality and transparency collaborative comprised of Massachusetts hospitals, their nursing leaders, and home health care agencies throughout the commonwealth. Since measuring hospital quality fairly and accurately is complicated, we support the work of groups that seek to provide patients with information to guide their healthcare decision.
